1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the positioning of laboratory sample containers into more accessible and usable orientations. The invention relates more specifically to securing laboratory cell well plates in an angled position appropriate for user viewing and access and to a means for identifying individual cell wells which have been accessed.
2. Background of the Invention
As the laboratory sciences have become more advanced, performing accurate experiments in ever more sterile environments has become increasingly necessary. When working in such sterile environments, as behind an enclosure or shield, researchers and technicians typically wear gloves, which makes it difficult to pick up small or flat items. At times, these gloves are even connected to the frame of the shield or the enclosure, thus making it even more difficult to pick up small or flat items or samples that cannot be disturbed when moved.
One such small, flat item is a specific type of laboratory sample container known as a cell well plate. Cell well plates are used in most experiments in the biology, biochemistry and genetic fields. The dimensions of a standard cell well plate are approximately 6 inches by 3 inches. The depth varies according to the number of indentations (cell wells) which vary from 6, 12, 24, 48 to 96 and are typically arranged in a rectangular array. These wells are on the top surface of the cell well plate and are used to deposit small samples of biological or chemical substances for mixing or observation. The wells themselves can hold a maximum of between 300 .mu.l and 4 ml of sample. When in use, the plates are normally set flat on a counter behind a hood or shield. Consequently, they are very difficult to pick up when wearing gloves, and are especially difficult to pick up without disturbing the samples or causing the samples to spill out of their individual wells, thus ruining the experiment.
In addition to the difficulty of picking up the cell well plate, the ease of viewing each individual well is minimal when the plates are set flat on a counter behind a hood or shield. Because of the hood or shield barrier between the researcher and the cell well plate, the researcher is usually prevented from looking directly at the cell well plate from above. Thus, when a small (.mu.l) amount of sample is placed in a well, the researcher cannot readily see the sample and, consequently, cannot see if a sample has already been added to an empty cell. Furthermore, it is difficult for the researcher to position a dispensing pipette over each individual well because he/she cannot easily see the boundaries of the well from the distance behind the hood or shield.
In addition to the problems associated with the appropriate positioning of a cell well plate, there are problems associated with keeping track of the individual cell wells that have been accessed during a test operation. A researcher may frequently be interrupted while in the process of placing samples in the wells or adding reactants to the samples. It is often not apparent at a glance which cell wells have been accessed and which have not. It would be advantageous to have a means for easily identifying the wells that have been accessed so that a researcher might readily continue a testing sequence after interruption.
Therefore, a need exists for a device that gives a researcher or technician the ability to position a cell well plate for better access to and a better view of the wells and samples on the cell well plate. In addition, a need exists for indicating which wells have been accessed by the researcher and those that have not.